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[0:00] Paul Lazarus: Hi, this is Paul Lazarus. In the 1980s, I produced and hosted a radio series called Anything Goes, a celebration of the American musical theater. Now the Broadway Podcast Network is bringing back these shows. This is the second of a three-part program paying tribute to renowned lyricist Ira Gershwin. Originally broadcast in 1982 on the occasion of Gershwin's 86th birthday, the show featured songs that Ira wrote with other collaborators besides his brother George. Composers like Harold Arlen, Burton Lane, and Kurt Weill.

[0:54] Paul Lazarus: This is another sort of obscure Ira Gershwin lyric, this time written with Douglas Ferker and music by Joseph Meyer and Philip Scherig. And I found it on a Bobby Short album called The Mad Twenties, which was arranged and conducted by Phil Moore. Apparently, it was first heard performed by Jack Buchanan and the ensemble in a show called That's a Good Girl in 1928, and then was premiered, I think, in America by Hannah Williams and Jerry Norris, also from the show Sweet and Low. This song is called Sweet So-and-So, performed by Bobby Short.

[1:31] ♪ Musical number: "Sweet So-and-So" — performed by Bobby Short ♪

[4:36] Paul Lazarus: Bobby Short and the Dixieland Twenties sound on a song called Sweet So-and-So, which took four people to write. Joseph Meyer and Philip Scherig wrote the music, lyrics by Douglas Ferker and Ira Gershwin, whose 86th birthday is tomorrow, and we're celebrating that fact here on Anything Goes today and playing for you the lyrics of Ira Gershwin and those songs that he wrote without his brother George. And we certainly heard George and Ira Gershwin collaborations many, many times on this program, but I thought it'd be interesting to hear songs that Ira wrote with other collaborators today.

[5:15] Paul Lazarus: This one is another one with Harry Warren, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and Billy Rose yet again, from a show called Crazy Quilt. And this didn't fare as well in 1931, it only ran 67 performances. A tune called In the Merry Month of Maybe.

[5:45] ♪ Musical number: "In the Merry Month of Maybe" ♪

[10:14] Paul Lazarus: Songs take place in dream sequences, and this one, this section is referred to as the Circus Dream and includes the songs "The Greatest Show on Earth," "The Best Years of His Life," the very famous "Tchaikovsky," which was the song that rocketed Danny Kaye to stardom, and of course, "The Saga of Jenny," which was Gertrude Lawrence's big number. Gershwin wrote in his, Ira Gershwin, that is, wrote in his book *Lyrics on Several Occasions*, which is one of the most delightful collections of lyrics ever penned, because not only does it include some of his best efforts, but it has a series of small notes by Ira that are just, just gorgeous. He wrote about this "Tchaikovsky" song. The lyric, excuse me, this lyric, proper noun for proper noun, is based almost entirely on a bit of light verse called "The Music Hour" by Arthur Francis in the then pre-pictorial humorous weekly *Life*, June 12, 1924, and for which Mr. Francis received a check of $12 from the editors.

I have waited hopefully but in vain these many years for someone to accuse me of plagiarism so that I could respond with the fact that for four years or so I was the synonymous Arthur Francis. I think that the name that Ira took for himself in the early part of his career is composed of his brother and his sister's first names, Arthur Francis. The names of most of the 49 composers mentioned in "Tchaikovsky" I compiled from advertisements on the back covers of piano music and orchestral scores in my brother's collection. That's wonderful. I wish I had the Danny Kaye recording of this song because no one has ever quite bit off these names the way Danny Kaye wrapped his teeth around them, but since I don't, I'll have to feature this excellent Columbia Special Products recording of the entire score that was produced by a young Thomas Shepard and his partner Jim Fogle song, and it really is the only complete cast recording of *Lady in the Dark* we have because they never really made an original cast recording, though several of the individual songs were recorded. We'll play those at a later date. Anyway, from Kurt Weill and Ira Gershwin's score to *Lady in the Dark*, here's the entire circus dream.

[13:04] ♪ Musical number: "The Circus Dream" — performed by the cast of *Lady in the Dark* ♪

[14:41] Paul Lazarus: You're listening to a birthday tribute to legendary lyricist Ira Gershwin. I'm your host, Paul Lazarus. Order in the courtroom. The charges against Liza Elliott. Thank you, my dear. What is all this? Charges against me? What for? What is all this? Whereas. Whereas. Liza Elliott cannot make up her mind about the Easter cover or the circus cover. Secundus. Secundus. Liza Elliott cannot make up her mind whether she is marrying Kendall Nesbitt or not. Moreover. Moreover. Liza Elliott cannot make up her mind as to the kind of woman she wants to be, the executive or the enchantress. And in as much as. In as much as.

[15:37] ♪ Musical number: "The Best Years of His Life" — performed by Unknown performer ♪

[19:42] ♪ Musical number: "Change of Heart" — performed by Unknown performer ♪

[28:29] Ira Gershwin: So many, many stories surround that Circus Dream sequence. Originally, it was meant to be set in a minstrel-like setting, but I guess the collaborators decided that minstrel would be out of date and out of fashion, so they moved it into a more circus setting, exchanging a kind of burnt cork for the illusory devices of the circus.

[28:55] Ira Gershwin: And then also, oddly enough, Saga of Jenny was a replacement song for what Ira Gershwin considered one of the best numbers in the show, a dark song full of zodiac symbols and all of that. And I guess at the suggestion of the producers, it was asked to be lightened up, so Kurt Weill and Ira Gershwin took another go at it and wrote the very, very famous Saga of Jenny.

[29:18] Ira Gershwin: Also, Danny Kaye scored such a brilliant success with Tchaikovsky that the authors were afraid they were going to lose their star because she then had to come on and do her big number, and they were afraid that it would be anticlimactic, but Gertrude Lawrence was not to be outdone, and she apparently discovered a brand new interpretation on opening night of the song and just bumped and ground her way to an even bigger ovation than Danny Kaye had received.

[29:46] Ira Gershwin: So from then on, there was no worries.

[30:16] Ira Gershwin: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to rate and follow us. Thanks for listening.